Ihiala axis of the Onitsha-Owerri federal highway in Anambra State has been a flashpoint for accidents ranging from lone crashes to multiple crashes and fatalities.
While most of the crashes were attributed to brake failures and loss of control, others were attributed to over-speeding and wrong over-taking.
Also, some of the crashes were caused by roadblocks and barricades mounted on the highway by law enforcement agents on duty.
Many lives have either been wasted or rendered incapacitated due to one severe injury or the other and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Odata Ihiala has been the dumping ground for accident victims, especially dead victims whose friends and families have not been able to trace or locate their whereabouts.
This time the Federal Road Safety Corps Anambra state sector command reported another fatal crash at Ihiala involving a driver who slept off on the wheels and crashed messily sending his conductor to an early grave while other occupants of the ill-fated vehicle sustained various degrees of injuries and were rushed to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Odata Ihiala for immediate emergency medical response by operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps.
FRSC report on the fatal crash reads, ” A Fatal Road traffic crash occurred at Ihialla LGA by Ihialla-Owerri Road 31th May 2022.
At about 05:00hours.
The crash involved 22 people comprising (17male adults, and 5 female adults.)
No injured: 4 male adults,
No killed: 1 male adult.(the conductor ).
The cause of the fatal crash was attributed to fatigue and loss of control. An eyewitness one of the passengers, said the driver was tired, slept off while driving, loss control, and hit a vehicle in his front and crashed; however, the vehicle in his front did not stop. The crash was between two vehicles.
An unidentified driver of a white Zhongtong Luxurious Bus with registration number: NNE423XB, the other vehicle details were not gotten.
As of the time of the incident, the injured victims were taken to Our Lady of Lourdes hospital Ihialla and the dead victim was deposited at the same hospital morgue by the FRSC rescue team from RS5.34 Ihialla Unit Command. The personnel managed traffic and ensured the obstruction caused was cleared.
The Sector Commander Anambra State Corps Commander Adeoye Irelewuyi while sympathizing with the families of the dead victim, wished the injured victims quick recovery. He, therefore, urged drivers to ensure they observe the regulatory rest period before plying the road.”
FRSC rescue team from the Ihiala evacuating the corpse of a victim from the vehicle at the accident scene.
